St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-23
HOW sCALPERs MAKE MONEY
A Sort OF Fifteen Puzzle By
Which Men Make Living.

A Sort OF Fifteen Puzzle BY
Which Men Make Living.
1--WE keep right on doing business
just the same as we did before the inter
state commerce bill became law" said
Il Third-street ticket scalper yesterday.
''llow do you do it?' asked GLOBE
reporter.
I'VE don't peddle the secrets of the
office, by boy" replied the scafper, ''but
we can send you to Chicago 81 cheaper
than yoa can buy ticket yourself if
you want to 60"
The Scalper absolutely refused to give
away the snap, but the passenger agent
of one of the roads took Il piece of paper,
and, for the benefit of the GLOBE re-
porter, figured out sort of fifteen puZ-
Zle, in which he proved that the Scalper
could scalp between st. Paul and st.
Louis Notwithstanding the interstate
commerce law, and this is about the
way it is done:
The distance from st. Paul to st.
Luis direct is so miles, via Chicago 692
miles. To st. Louis via Chicago from
ST. Paul the limited fare is Sl5.S5, and
the tickets are limited to one day, but if
the ticket is presented on the train be-
fore midnight, the hour at which the
limit expires, the company is obliged to
take the bearer to his destination.
A man wants ticket to Chicago, and
he walks into Scalper'S office h, re and
asks what he can do for him. The
Scalper tells him that he can put him
in Chicago for 5000, which is 81 less
than the regular fare, but tells the pur-
chaser he must give him SIT and he will
give him $3.50 rebate, to be collected i'll
Chicago. The man gives up the 81 and
the Scalper goes over to the city ticket
Office of any Chicago and st. Louis line
and purchases limited ticket to ST.
Louis via Chicago for $3.50. He gives
the man the ticket and rebate order on
the Chicago scalper for $3.50. Ten
dollars and a half and $3.50 on SIT,
which is the original sum given the
Scalper by the purchaser, who gets his
$3.50 rebate and finds that his ticket has
cost him but $1,000. The scafper gets
SIT from the purchaser and buys the
ticket for Sl5.S5. consequently his
scalp" is worth S1.l5, for that is what
he has
MADE BY TIE DEAL.
Now to follow the purchaser to Chi
cago. He arrives there about noon and
the ticket he holds is good till II o'clock
that night, and as the train leaves about
IL " SiONh tSiob HiSiU, lAO SOCo w GliC
scalper. gets his $3.50 rebate and the
scalper takes his coupon good from Chi
cago to st. Louis. The regular fare
from Chicago to St. Louis is $3.50, the
scalper has this coupon that he has paid
$3.50 for, and he has until II o'clock that
night to dispose of it. A man comes in
and wants to go to St. Louis.
What can you sell me a ticket for to
st. Louise" he says.
The scalper thinks of the coupon that
he has paid but $3.50 for and, as the
regular rate is $3.50, he says, can save
you half a dollar, and he sells the man
the ticket for 81 and makes SO cents by
the operation. The coupon expires at
midnight. The holder boards the train,
presents the coupon to che conductor,
who is obliged to carry the bearer to his
destination.
Travel from Chicago to ST. Louis is
heavy, and scalper can sell fifteen or
twenty coupons day if they can get
them, and it will be seen that they make
pretty fair income.